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Foraging association between myxomycetes and fungal communities on coarse woody debris Yu Fukasawaab, Fujio Hyodoc, Shin-ichi Kawakamid a

Laboratory of Forest Ecology, Graduate School of Agricultural Science, Tohoku University, Naruko, Osaki, Miyagi 989-6711, Japan b School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, Biomedical Building, Museum Avenue, Cardiff CF10 3AX, UK c Research Core for Interdisciplinary Sciences, Okayama University, 3-1-1, Tsushimanaka, Okayama, 700-8530, Japan d Wakayama Prefectural Museum of Natural History, 370-1 Funoo, Kainan City, Wakayama 6420001, Japan Myxomycetes are one of the major microbial predator groups found in detrital food webs within terrestrial ecosystems. They are typical inhabitants of coarse woody debris (CWD). Our study aimed to find community relationships between myxomycetes and fungi, a potential prey, on CWD, and the trophic status of saproxylic myxomycetes using stable isotope analysis of their sporocarps. Records of sporocarps present on 184 Pinus densiflora logs during a 3-year period listed 37 species of myxomycetes and 45 species of fungi. Ordination analysis using occurrence data of 34 dominant species (17 myxomycetes and 17 fungi) revealed their dynamic succession during log decay. Fungal dominants were clearly divided into two groups—earlier and later— and the majority of myxomycetes occurred during the middle stages of log decay between the first and second groups of fungal dominants. Species level associations between fungal and myxomycetes communities were rare. Isotopic nitrogen (δ15N) values of myxomycetes were significantly higher than those of wood-decay fungi, but few myxomycetes showed δ15N values higher than those of ectomycorrhizal fungi. Isotopic carbon (δ13C) values of myxomycetes were not significantly different from those of fungi. δ15N values of myxomycetes and fungi and δ13C of myxomycetes significantly increased with an increase in wood decay. However, these positive correlations between stable isotope profiles and wood decay disappeared after the values were calibrated by subtracting the δ15N and δ13C values of sapwood from those of myxomycetes and fungi. While saproxylic myxomycetes have long been assumed to be bacterivous, the results of this study suggest that wood-decay fungi could be an important part of their diet, and their foraging associations might be non-species specific. Keywords: dead wood, decomposition, fungi, myxomycetes, slime mould, stable isotope ratio

This is an example. The actual abstract was taken from Soil Biology and Biochemistry 121: 95-102. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.soilbio.2018.03.006 and corresponds with an actual publication. Please write everything in Times New Roman 12 pts, single space and bold title. Use a,b,c for author affiliations. Use italics for scientific names. Symbols are allowed. Maximum length should be one page. No references. Figures and/or graphical abstracts are allowed. Please submit in Word or equivalent format.